Japanese Wedding Traditions | Uplanit Limited
“Ceremonies can be Christian style, Shinzen style, Butsuzen style, Jinzen style…”
Japanese weddings have evolved over the years, from traditional Shinto style to the incorporation of western and Christian styles in the modern ceremonies that occur today. Elements of Shintoism existed long before Buddhism came to Japan, sometimes separating into different sects. Around 6th Century AD when Buddhism was introduced, the Shinto religion was transformed into how it is practised; a polytheistic religion emphasising on nature and a belief that kami (gods) exist all around us, from rocks to trees to people. Shintoism has taken a lot of turns throughout history, and regardless of how many practitioners it has, a lot of Japanese wedding traditions reside in a Shinto ceremony, much like how some western traditions take from Christianity etc. While some couples choose to have a church ceremony, complete with white dresses and black suits/tuxedos, these can be of a style choice rather than a religious choice. Western influences began spreading throughout Japan around the 1980s, and though homosexual marriage is still unrecognised in Japan, 8 cities and city wards have legalised same-sex partnerships (e.g. civil partnerships) with some of the benefits of marriage. As we’ve discussed western-style weddings in the past, we’re going to delve into the different traditional ceremonies and events held for Japanese Weddings!
Other than western Christian styles of wedding, Japanese ceremonies can also include Shinzen style, Butsuzen style and Jinzen style. Shinzen style (also known as Shinzen-Shiki) follows the customs of Shintoism and is traditionally held at a shrine, Butsuzen style follows Buddist traditions and customs and can be held in a temple, and finally, Jinzen style is a non-religious type of wedding, similar to civil ceremonies. These ceremonies are not legally binding however, so they can be held after the couple goes through a legally binding ceremony. The bride can wear a number of garments throughout her wedding day, unlike the western tradition of wearing one dress all day. The couple both wear silk wedding kimonos; an all-white kimono known as shiromuku is worn for a Shinto ceremony, and is the most formal of them all. The white kimono symbolises purity, cleanliness and harmony, and a headpiece is worn as well known as a wataboshi. This is similar to a western bride’s veil and covers the hair as well as most of the face as only the groom should be able to see the face of his beautiful wife. The bride will later wear a patterned kimono known as the irouchikake, which symbolises how she will be “painted with her new family’s standards and ideas.” The patterns on the kimono are similar to the shiromuku but more colourful, with colours such as red, gold and/or black. Another kind of bridal kimono is the hikifurisode, the least formal and a popular choice to be worn for receptions after the wedding ceremony. This kimono really allows for brides to show off their style, and the attire itself is easier to walk in than the earlier kimonos. As for the groom, he traditionally wears a black or grey montsuki kimono with his family crest in white on the front and back, kimono trousers known as hakama, and a type of loose overcoat known as the haori.
After the couple become engaged, it’s traditional to go through yuino, the betrothal ceremony, where parents of the couple exchange symbolic gifts such as seaweed (symbolising pleasure, joy) or a folding fan (symbolising future growth and wealth), and money in a special envelope called the shugi-bukuro, often designed with gold and silver decorations. The invitations for the wedding are sent usually around 2 months notice from the fathers of the couple. Traditionally only close family members are invited to the official ceremony so the guest list isn’t too long, unlike the reception. There are a lot of rituals in a Shinto ceremony, but one common ritual between Shinzen and Butsuzen style is the san-san-kudo ritual. This translates as “three, three, nine times”, and involves 3 stacked cups of sake (rice wine) which is given to both the bride and groom. Both have to take 3 sips of sake from each cup, and there are differing opinions on what this ritual symbolises — some say it symbolises love, wisdom and happiness, and others say the cups represent the bride, groom, their parents, and then three human flaws (hatred, passion, ignorance). While we can’t speak for the true symbol of this ritual, we believe it’s best to choose your own interpretation for important rituals such as these.
The wedding reception after the ceremony is when the other guests will arrive — friends, family, and co-workers will be invited to celebrate with a meal, drink, songs, and speeches! It can be similar to a western wedding reception, but there’s always the chance to add extra flair such as origami decoration, decadent sushi displays, and a ceremonial sake barrel opening! Speeches will come from many guests, including not just family members but also bosses and co-workers sharing anecdotes and best wishes to the happy couple. Intermissions (oironaoshi — a change of colour) are allowed during the reception to allow the bride and groom to slip into a change of attire (usually tuxedo and dress) but guests don’t have to wait up for them to return in order to enjoy the celebrations. If you still want to celebrate after the reception, not to worry — after parties (nijikai) are quite popular and include drinking, music and a lot of dancing”
That about wraps up our blog on Japanese wedding traditions; as always, we know that despite our research things can get lost in translation — please let us know if there’s anything important you feel we’ve missed out, or if we’ve gotten anything incorrect! Don’t hesitate to get in touch if there’s another cultural wedding tradition you’d like us to research as well; we’re always up for learning new things!
See you next week.
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